The Search For The Ugly Naked Guy Is Over: Now We Can All Be F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. is one of those shows we'll simply never forget or properly mourn. We will never get over the death of this decade-long show that's made us all pee our pants... At least once... (Not even a little? Liar!)

This is true to the point where Todd Van Luling, a Senior Staff Writer for The Huffington Post, spent his last year attempting to crack the show's biggest unsolved mystery.

Who is Ugly Naked Guy?

With too many guest appearances to remember, it can be challenging to single one out, even if it's Ugly Naked Guy. Just kidding, shame on you if you don't remember this anonymous celebrity. He did it first, not Sia.

Ugly Naked Guy, whose only been referred to as such, has been repeatedly alluded to in the show. He lived in one of the apartments across from Monica's, where Ross eventually moved in.

How Did He Remain Masked If He Was Always Naked?

Ugly Naked Guy/NBC

Ugly Naked Guy became a huge part of the show, despite only appearing on screen twice, in “The One With The Giant Poking Device” and “The One Where Everybody Finds Out.” Neither time was his face shown or his name credited, which is why no one knew the actor's identity. In the 12 years since the show ended, no one had come forward until now.

One theory was that Michael Hagerty played both the super named Mr. Treeger and Ugly Naked Guy. The actor was even falsely credited for the role on IMDb. While it did seem feasible, the guess was wrong. This brought us back to square one.

How Did This Impossible Search Nearly Strip Todd Of Motivation?

Leslie Litt (L) & Jennifer Aniston/GettyImages

Once Van Luling was back to square one, he contacted Leslie Litt, the Emmy-nominated casting director behind both episodes. In an effort to contribute, she rummaged through old boxes in her garage.

“I can’t find anything on Ugly Naked Guy, he must have been an extra.”

Litt did help him find his next lead, by suggesting he contact Central Casting, as they most likely oversaw the role of UNG. Executive Vice President Jennifer Bender looked into the mystery, reached out to contacts, but also reached a dead end.

“Well this has become the hot topic of my office! Unfortunately I cannot get confirmation on who this guy is.”

David Crane (L), David Schwimmer (M) & Marta Kauffman (R)/Vanity Fair

Van Luling failed to ask David Schwimmer about UNK's identity three times. Even the show's creator, David Crane, claimed in an interview that he had absolutely no clue who Ugly Naked Guy was. He did, however, confirm that it was not Hagerty. Costume designer Debra McGuire offered to lend a naked hand since she was there. Ultimately she found nothing.

Ugly Naked Guy Was Blocking The Light...

The F.R.I.E.N.D.S. supervisor line producer Todd Stevens replied to the writer's e-mail:

“Here’s what I remember. It was an extra and we wanted it to fly under the radar because we didn’t want somebody, like, being Ugly Naked Guy.”

He continued on that Central Casting had merely sent over a few people and the whole casting process was rushed. The chosen UNG had no previous history on the show. Stevens did not remember the actor's name but he attempted a facial description:

How Did He Finally Reach Ugly Naked Guy?

Jennifer Bender/Vimeo

No, it wasn't with a long poking device made of chopsticks. He sent a follow-up e-mail to Jennifer Bender a year after his initial contact. She responded with good news, claiming that Ugly Naked Guy had recently stopped by Central Casting and she would put them in touch. She followed through.

“You want to let the world know who the real Ugly Naked Guy is, huh?”

Jon Haugen/Pinterest

Jon Haugen.

“There’s only one Ugly Naked Guy, man, and that was me. [. . .] I was the man.”

The actor admitted to wearing boxers, so there was truly never a naked ugly man.

"We were just in boxer shorts and they made it look like we were naked.”

Jon Haugen Said It Was The Best Time Of His Life, So Why Not Expose Himself?

Friends/NBC

No pun intended. The extra said F.R.I.E.N.D.S. was the best sitcom he had ever appeared in and that everyone treated him like family (besides all the poking).

“The reason I never came forward was because I was just keeping it mellow because Warner Brothers was keeping it mellow. They wanted everybody to have a guess who I was.”

Always hoping for more screen time, he would absolutely be willing to do a reunion. Like I said, we'll always keep hoping for more.

NewStatesMan

What Other F.R.I.E.ND.S. Guest Star Would You Want To Reunite With Ugly Naked Guy?